Notes from...A Quiet Sunday in May
Somehow, already halfway through May. Who else spends the first few months of the year hibernating and trying to get over the rush that is The Festive Period, only to emerge at the other end slightly fearful of all that is to come and, frankly, somewhat behind the curve?
Some Major Organisation Moves
Realised that planning for The Festive Period needs, actually, to come in well before autumn hits. So, don’t judge, but have set aside a new notebook and dusted off the spreadsheet (already) so some vital planning can commence and we can be declared ‘match fit’ well in advance of need. Am hoping this slight change in tack will afford us all some much-needed respite during the period and then the following new year will feel easier to manage. If you don’t try, then you never know, is that not it? Will report back in a few!
What’s Keeping Us Sane?
Life is definitely ramping up. Feeling a need to get the children outside more; to get into the garden; and to soak up as much vitamin d for oneself as possible. Add to that being deep in the final school term of the year. So. Much. To. Do. None of this is new, but it feels like we need to keep switching up ways to manage it all. Top of my list these past few months has been a return to journalling. Have journalled on and off for years now, but for all sorts of reasons the consistency hasn’t been there. A few clouds have lifted and now being well past post-partum (littlest is two and a bit), clarity is coming by way of writing as much down as possible. It goes without saying, but it’s the writing that’s key! All of this has led to penning some journal prompts for the longer-form passages. These have been really thought provoking recently. Let us know if any resonate with you:
1. Let’s go back five years. What advice do you give yourself?
2. Today I will let go of the following negative thought: (we have this one ON REPEAT)
3. What is something you would do if you knew you would not fail? *
4. This coming week I am going to focus on [INSERT] for myself.
5. What is one main thing that you feel is standing in the way of reaching your ultimate goals? What would be the first step towards eliminating this thing?
6. How has your relationship rewarded you over this past year (hello anniversary month)?
7. Choose a word that describes the year so far, and one to describe what you would like to get from the rest of the year.
8. What is inspiring you at the moment?
9. When do you feel most at peace?
10. Make a list of 10 people you love and describe in detail why you love them.
*arguably a trick one, because we all know that failure means growth!
Sunday Saves
Links to three things we’ve loved this week:
- We LOVE Kaweco pens for writing in our journals, and they're celebrating a new website with a freebie (accurate as at 17 May 2026). Have a look!: https://www.kaweco-pen.com/en/
- It's not just stationery we have a 'thing' about; anything to brighten up our spaces gets a vote. Check out these seriously fantastic tablecloths (and linens more generally). They really are joy-bringers and will add a spark to any interior space: https://www.nicbrittin.com/collections/table-cloths
- This print, which embodies so many of the messages we keep telling our children, particularly at these tricky times. Keep smiling, people.
Reading
Have recently finished David Szalay’s ‘Flesh’. It was the 2025 Booker Prize winner and all expectations were that it would be a difficult read. Much the opposite. It was compelling. Perhaps a bit heavy on the (very) heavy petting, but a seriously straightforward look at the human condition and what it takes for us to be human. Do we ever get ‘what matters’ right? And why do so many of us forget just how fragile life actually is. Some of the questions that swirled whilst reading this one. Difficult to put down and would definitely recommend.
Watching
Hilariously, ‘Dutton Ranch’. Having been more than a bit gutted when Kev C was unceremoniously written out of ‘Yellowstone’, this is proving to be the tonic. Yes, there’s an element of wishing that franchises knew when to give up and there’s been more of the slightly cringeworthy ‘Yellowstone’ violence and disaster from straight off, but it’s proving enjoyable enough so far. Only two eps in, so let’s see.